


The Fox's Exile

by ethantrieswriting



Category: Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 06:55:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13476093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethantrieswriting/pseuds/ethantrieswriting
Summary: Orochimaru, having taken Gen'yūmaru's body days before Sasuke abandoned the Leaf, follows soon after the Sound Five to guarantee the success of their mission to retrieve the young Uchiha. Tsunade accompanies Kakashi to aid Naruto, fearing the Sand siblings weren't enough backup. The two fellow sanin meet in a violent clash that will alter the ninja world to a terrifying extent, and at the epicenter of this great change is the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. IN PROGRESS. ADVENTURE/DRAMA - NO LEMONS (yet).





	The Fox's Exile

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I started on FanFiction.net in 2015, and recently (late 2017) began a revised version of it. The original from two years ago no longer exists, but I feel this iteration is superior. I'll update, chapter-by-chapter, as quickly as my schedule allows me to. There's also a chance that, sense this is my first time posting anything to AO3, I'll be tweaking several things in the story over the next week or so as I become accustomed to the site's properties.
> 
> All that aside, please enjoy my story!

**The Snake, The Slug, and The Copy Cat**

Sasuke held himself horizontally on the foundation of the statue of Madara Uchiha in the Valley of the End. His eyes hadn't left his yellow-haired teammate in some time.

' _Cerulean,_ ' he thought to himself. ' _They were cerulean._ ' His heavily altered face softened the slightest bit at this thought. ' _Those eyes… they were so blue… and no matter how angry or driven by vengeance I was, they could always lighten my heart._

' _They were cerulean._ '

They  _were_ , but not anymore.

Those once-delightful eyes now bled with a malevolence the likes of which Sasuke had never seen before. They were crimson, the color of war. They conveyed every vile thing the young blond was willing to do to him to stop him from abandoning his village.

Sasuke couldn't let that happen.

Still… despite his determination to follow his path of revenge and leave his ties to the Leaf Village far behind him, the glare from the demonic boy in front of him shook his resolve to the very core. It was almost enough to make him hesitate, but Sasuke new better. He needed to get stronger, and no one was going to stop him.

No one.

* * *

Naruto stood in a feral crouch along the bottom of the Hashirama Senju monument, opposite his mutated brethren.

' _He really means it,_ ' Naruto thought to himself. ' _He really wants to kill me._ ' He ground his teeth together in frustration, hoping an idea on how to stop his friend from abandoning all those who care about him without killing him would arise amongst his thoughts in the next few moments.

Thinking…

_Thinking…_

Nope. Nothing.

' _I'm not letting Orochimaru take you, never in a million years! I'm taking you home, Sasuke, even if I have to rip your legs off and drag your hobbled body back by your stupid, chicken-shaped hair, I'm gonna do it!'_

The young jinchūriki summoned an immense amount of chakra to the surface of his body, causing the stone beneath his feet to crack and the consequential dust to levitate around his ankles.

' _Like I said before – you're not going anywhere!_ '

* * *

Sasuke could feel the burning energy pulsing from Naruto's body and new he was preparing to strike. Preemptively, he held his left wrist and began funneling chakra to his left hand, causing black-tinged lightning to appear.

Naruto growled and shot his right hand to his side, forming a spinning, vermillion-purple ball of chakra in his palm.

There was a noticeable moment of hesitation from both boys.

Only a moment.

They both pushed off their perches with tremendous force, rocketing toward one another. They were both moving incredibly fast, and the distance they had to cover was short, yet it seemed to take forever for them to meet; finally, however, they reached their destination. Extending their attacking arms, they connected.

" **Chidori!** "

" **Rasengan!** "

Their attacks collided, causing an instantaneous and gargantuan explosion of chakra that emanated in every direction. Following the impact, their respective jutsu slid off one another and continued their course toward their opponent's hearts. Unfortunately, Sasuke's arms were a bit longer than Naruto's. This allowed his lightning-gloved fingertips to strike Naruto first, causing his Rasengan to dissipate.

The bewhiskered boy managed to land a slanted scratch across his friend's Leaf headband before losing consciousness.

* * *

Sasuke stood solemnly above his fallen comrade, staring down at his peaceful face. The Uchiha's expression was blank, no sadness to be seen, but more noticeably, no sense of excitement or happiness for his victory was visible either.

The knot in his headband was undone, causing it to fall to the ground next to Naruto's messy blond hair. The remaining sunlight on their battlefield had almost completely receded, the last ray closing in on the jinchūriki's forehead and finally disappearing. It was then that Sasuke heard the rain drops begin to hit the stone on which they stood.

He looked up into the gray, murky sky as water droplets fell upon his face. A shockwave of pain suddenly caught Sasuke by surprise, ripping through his left shoulder and arm. He gripped the curse mark tightly, attempting to subdue the metaphorical lightning coursing through his blood, but the discomfort brought him to his knees and face-to-face with Naruto's still-slumbering form.

' _Why, Naruto?_ ' he asked no one. ' _Why did you have to follow me?_ '

A frustrated scowl appeared on his face. "I  _tried_  to let you live, Naruto!" he yelled into the usually-loud boy's face, receiving no response. "I was going to leave without doing what he said I'd have to do, but you just  _had_  to follow me, didn't you?!" The continued silence frustrated him further, and Sasuke clenched his fists, turning his knuckles white. "Answer me, you idiot!"

He pulled his fist back in anger, but paused. After a moment of contemplation, he lowered his hand back to his side.

"No," he said, forcing himself to his feet. "I won't do things his way. Never." He remained staring at his unconscious friend for another few minutes. "Let me go, Naruto.

"Let me go if you know what's good for you."

Sasuke turned to make his way into the forest opposite the direction of the Leaf when another shockwave of pain rippled throughout him, causing him to stumble. Rather than hitting the ground, he landed against the waiting back of Kabuto Yakushi.

"Wha-?" the boy started, but trailed off when he saw a certain snake sannin standing at the edge of the trees, smiling at him.

"Very good, my boy," Orochimaru said, "very good indeed. I must say, I'm impressed. I was beginning to worry the little beast would prove too much for you."

Kabuto turned to glance at the Uchiha on his back. "Though I can't say I'm not disappointed at your decision to let Naruto live," he said with that condescending smile, forcing as much of a scowl as Sasuke could muster.

"Nevertheless," the venomous legend hissed, "I'll respect it. I, too, made a similar choice long ago, though for very different reasons, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't regret it." He turned and began walking slowly, raising his left arm and beckoning the medical ninja with a short hand gesture. "Come, Kabuto. We should get Sasuke to the Sound Village as soon as possible, yes? Wouldn't want to wait around for the flies to begin buzzing."

Kabuto smiled. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru," he said, and they both sprang into the trees, leaving Naruto to soak in the rain.

* * *

"Naruto!" Pakun barked as he and his master broke through the dense foliage and landed on the bank of the river. "Kakashi, it's him!"

Kakashi Hatake made his way to the genin's side and put two fingers to his neck. Releasing a thankful sigh, he said, "he's alive."

"That's good news," the ninja pup said in his gravelly voice. He sniffed the air. "Sasuke was here not too long ago, I'd say a few minutes." He sniffed again, then his eyes shot wide as he let out a gasp. "Orochimaru…"

Kakashi dawned a shocked expression. "What?" he asked, stunned.

The small dog grimaced. "Orochimaru was here, too, along with a third I don't recognize."

The copy ninja closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath through his nose, then grunted in frustration. "Kabuto."

Just then, multiple figures broke through the trees from which Kakashi had sprung previously. Tsunade Senju, Shizune, and four medical ninja made their way to the prone boy and his teacher. They all gasped at the sight of the young jinchūriki and the state he was in; all but Tsunade.

Tsunade's teeth and fists clenched simultaneously, a vein appearing in her forehead.

"Where is he?" she growled at the one-eyed jōnin.

Kakashi looked at her solemnly. "Sasuke is gone, Lady Hokage."

"Not Sasuke," she said through closed teeth, coaxing a surprised look from the former Anbu captain. "Orochimaru. I know he was here."

Pakun took a few strong whiffs of the air around him. Lifting a paw and pointing it in a direction, he said, "that way, my lady."

The slug sannin let out a furious grunt. "Shizune, oversee Naruto's return to the village. Hatake, with me."

Kakashi stood. "Are you sure you want to pursue them, my lady?" Her icy glare made his blood cold.

" _With me_ , Hatake."

He knew better than to argue further. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

Sparing another look to make sure the medical ninja were beginning to carry out her orders, Tsunade leapt into the trees in the direction Pakun specified, the pup in question and his master on her heels.

Shizune stood by while the men in white medical ninja robes placed the injured boy on the stretcher.

' _Naruto,_ ' she thought to herself. Ever since the brash twelve-year-old accompanied Master Jiraiya to find Lady Tsunade and bring her back to the village, and he'd protected her from Kabuto, he'd shown her a bravery she'd seen in few others, and she'd grown to view him as a little brother. Seeing him this way hurt her heart, because she knew how much it must have pained him to have to face his friend in battle – to say nothing of how worried she was about his physical wounds.

' _Please be okay, Naruto._ '

Shizune and the medical shinobi started toward the village in hopes to get Naruto appropriate care quickly, attempting to quell their concern for their Hokage.

* * *

Kakashi followed his venerable leader, making sure to keep a few paces back as to avoid being the victim of her visible rage.

Pakun sniffed again. "We're closing in on them. They seem to be moving slowly, perhaps one of them is injured."

Kakashi nodded. "Most likely Sasuke. I can't imagine Naruto sustaining injuries of that magnitude without getting in some licks of his own."

He could feel the anger rise in Tsunade. Her words were spoken with an immense malice.

"I'm going to punch that snake's head off!"

* * *

Kabuto's eyes widened in surprise, then settled once more as his confident smile returned.

"It appears we're being followed, Lord Orochimaru," he said calmly.

The pale ninja chuckled. "Yes, it appears so. Tsunade and Kakashi, if I'm not mistaken. Quite an interesting coupling, they'll be impossible to shake."

"Shall we engage them?" Kabuto asked.

Orochimaru's grin widened in anticipation. "I'll take care of it. I'd like to put my new body to the test," he said with his sick, fanged smile. "Continue toward our base and, don't stop for anything. I should catch up to you before you reach the border."

The gray-haired spy nodded and said, "of course, my lord."

On the next branch they reached, Kabuto continued onward while Orochimaru landed and rebounded in the opposite direction, excited to see his former teammate and her pet.

* * *

Kakashi and Tsunade suddenly halted on sidelong branches, causing Pakun to almost miss a step and fall to the forest floor. He was confused and looked at his summoner inquisitively.

Tsunade's scowl deepened. "Orochimaru."

Pakun followed her gaze to the snake sannin standing calmly on a branch several feet in front of them, meeting Tsunade's eyes with a smile. ' _What? How?_ ' the clothed pup asked internally. ' _How did he get to us without me noticing? He's completely shut off his scent, I don't understand._ '

Kakashi crouched down and braced himself with a hand on the branch, his opposite arm extended behind him in preparation for attack or defense. "You should go, Pakun. Thank you for your help." The dog looked at him, considering a protest, but knew he'd be no help in this confrontation. Nodding once, he vanished. "Where's Sasuke?" the masked jōnin asked of the dangerous presence before him.

Orochimaru chuckled. "He's long gone, I'm afraid," he said whimsically, gently brushing black locks from his eyes. "Kabuto has taken him far from here. You'll never catch them, not with me in your way."

Kakashi knew he was right. He had no doubt about the Hokage's strength, but he feared Orochimaru was not only strong enough to delay them and destroy any chance of them finding Sasuke, but perhaps even strong enough to defeat them both.

He  _was_ the genius of the three sannin, after all.

Tsunade's anger was now producing an aura of immense proportions that could be felt by both men in her midst. "You've taken so much from so many," she growled in a low tone, her form visibly shaking. "There was a time when I tried to forget all you'd taken. I tried to bury it and pretend I didn't care." Her fist clenched with a force that allowed Kakashi to hear it. "Then you tried to take that boy away from me."

Orochimaru's grin widened. "What  _ever_  do you mean, Tsunade?" he asked sarcastically. "I did no such thing. I simply took what I needed, and the beast meddled where he didn't belong." He let out a satisfied laugh at Tsunade's growing anger. "Besides, why does that boy matter to you?" The pale man put a mocking finger to his chin and dawned a faux pondering expression. "Could it be the striking resemblance to your precious little brother whom you lost all those years ago?"

Tsunade bit her lower lip hard, drawing blood.

The Sound ninja laughed once again. "Yes, that must be it. It's certainly not the qualities he shares with that oaf, Jiraiya, that makes you care for him." He dropped his arm back to his side and placed his hand on his hip. "At any rate, I let him live, so what are you complaining about?"

Without warning, Tsunade leapt from her branch and flew at her once-teammate, a chakra-infused fist raised and aimed at his head.

"I'm gonna kill you, you slithering bastard!"

Shizune followed behind the two ninja carrying the orange-clad boy on a stretcher, with the remaining two trailing close behind her. She'd kept her eyes on him most of the way, attempting to assess his situation. He hadn't even twitched.

' _Naruto…_ '

They continued their path to the Leaf in silence.

Orochimaru jumped to avoid Tsunade's devastating blow, landing on a branch above as the one he was previously perched on shattered beneath her fist.

Kakashi clapped his hands together, fingers intertwined.

_Snake_

He shot his hands forward, extending his fingers toward his target.

" **Lightning Style: Lightning Fang**!"

A dense bolt of electricity sprang from his exposed fingertips and chased Orochimaru. The sannin responded with a deep breath.

' _ **Wind Style: Immense Breakthrough**_ _,_ ' he thought, then forced a shockwave of air through his mouth. When it collided with Kakashi's jutsu, it shattered the bolt into unfocused sparks that soon dissipated.

Tsunade ran up the trunk of the tree to Orochimaru's position then pushed off toward him, aiming a kick at his head. He raised an arm to block, but the slug sannin's follow-through sent him flying. After a few seconds air-born, he skipped across the dirt four times before finally coming to a stop face-down.

Kakashi made the clone sign.

" **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!"

Another Kakashi appeared as they attempted a pincer move on their opponent, the clone approaching from the left and the original from the right. Meeting in the middle, they found Orochimaru back to his feet and ready to receive them. The original pulled a kunai and thrusted it forward with his right hand, which was blocked easily. The clone swept at the legs, but he jumped to avoid it. Landing, Orochimaru put the sole of his sandal to the side of the still-crouching clone's head, sending him back a few feet.

Taking the opportunity, the original copy ninja aimed a spinning left kick to Orochimaru's head. He ducked to dodge, but Kakashi twisted, and his right leg was following in a roundhouse motion. With no time to evade, he blocked, giving the original the opening he needed to land a straight kick to the face with his left foot.

Seemingly unfazed, Orochimaru circled into a spinning back fist that connected with Kakashi's jaw and sent him into a nearby tree. He shot his left arm out.

" **Striking Shadow Snakes**!" Dozens of summoned pythons erupted from his sleeve and wrapped around both the original Kakashi and the tree, binding him to the trunk. Turning his head, Orochimaru opened his mouth in a dry heaving motion as a snake left his throat. The snake's jaws opened soon after, and the Sword of Kusanagi extended forth and pierced the chest of the clone Kakashi, dispelling him in a puff of smoke.

Sheathing the sword and snake back inside his body, Orochimaru dropped to a prone position just in time to keep his head as Tsunade's fist passed overhead. His snakes still holding the white-haired jōnin, Orochimaru rolled quickly behind the tree to which he was tied and appeared on the other side. Extending his free right hand, he yelled, " **Striking Shadow Snakes**!"

More serpents exploded from within him and targeted the Hokage, but she sidestepped them and grabbed all of them in one hand, a vice grip just beneath their heads. Yanking hard, she forced Orochimaru toward her. As he left his feet, so did his smile leave his face, as the snakes restraining Kakashi were separated from him and thus supplied the give he needed to free himself. Once the snake-summoner was within range, Tsunade buried her viper-filled fist in his face and drove his head into the ground in front of her.

Just when it seemed her fist would bore a hole through his skull, Orochimaru's body dissolved into hundreds of tiny snakes that all slithered in different directions.

"Damn it!" Tsunade yelled, pulling her fist from the four-inch crevice she'd made in the ground. "The coward was always better at running than fighting."

She and Kakashi both knew her confidence was mostly false. Orochimaru was a dangerous man, even for the likes of Tsunade the Slug Sannin and Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye.

Suddenly, the ground between them broke, and the pale ninja sprang upward, extending both legs in a split and connecting a kick to the heads of both his opponents, sending them in opposite directions.

Tsunade and Kakashi recovered, landing on one knee and sliding back multiple feet. Without missing a beat, Orochimaru widened his stance, steadying himself.

' _ **Sound Wave Jutsu**_ _,_ ' he mentally sang, forcing sonic shockwaves from his body in every direction. Tsunade braced herself and took the hit head-on and unblinkingly, but Kakashi knew his limits, and knew they were less than hers, so he took shelter behind a tree, covering his ears with his hands.

When the shockwaves passed, Tsunade took a step toward her former comrade confidently, intent on making the next move, but instead began reeling from the sudden ringing in her ears, falling to her knees. She couldn't hear anything, and worse than that, she could barely keep her balance.

To her, the ground beneath her was rotating at a rapid pace.

Another sadistic chuckle escaped Orochimaru's lips. "Everyone always mocked Jiraiya for his hotheadedness. They weren't wrong, of course, but I must say, he pales in comparison to you, Tsunade. You never fail to lose your composure when emotions are involved."

She couldn't hear him, obviously. Her eardrums were shattered, apparent by the blood that had begun to flow down both sides of her face.

Orochimaru continued. "You were able to hold up externally, but sonic attacks are always more damaging to the internal workings of the human body. Honestly, not knowing that, and as a master medical ninja no less, it's pathetic." His smile widened before he looked up, opening his mouth. The snake from before emerged again, and in turn repeated the process of regurgitating the Kusanagi blade, this time pommel-first. Orochimaru grabbed it, unsheathing the sword in its entirety and then settling back to his humored expression, the snake having retreated again.

_Ox – Rabbit – Monkey_

" **Lightning Blade**!" Kakashi said as he aimed his most deadly jutsu at the spine of the former Leaf ninja. Orochimaru scowled, his confident shell momentarily slipping and then realigning as he donned his smile once again. He ducked, Kakashi's attack going directly over him, then slithered back and stood behind his prey, landing a kick to his lower back. The impact was sudden and severe, sending Kakashi forward and colliding into a tree.

Deciding not to waste any more time toying with them, Orochimaru quickly covered the short distance between himself and Tsunade. He lifted his right arm and brought it down with conviction, impaling her through the back with the Kusanagi and burying it into the ground on the other side.

Tsunade's eyes shot wide open as blood sprayed from her throat.

* * *

Shizune was lost in thought over her worry for Naruto, causing her to nearly knock the medical ninja in front of her off his branch when he suddenly stopped without warning.

"What's going on?" she asked, exasperated, wondering what could possibly be stopping them from getting the boy home.

"Apologies, Lady Shizune," one medical ninja said, "we've encountered Shikamaru and Lady Temari."

Looking down, Shizune could see the lazy chūnin and sand kunoichi standing side-by-side on the ground, accompanied by two additional medical ninja, amongst a plethora of scarred boulders and fallen trees.

Shikamaru heard the conversation and glanced up. "Lady Shizune?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

She could tell he was both exhausted and stressed.

Shizune dropped from the branch and landed next to her comrades. "Apologies, Shikamaru, Lady Temari, I don't have time to talk. Naruto is in critical condition, we need to get him to the village hospital as soon as possible."

"What?" he inquired again in that usual 'this is such a drag' tone. Just then, the two men carrying Naruto touched down next to their interim squad leader. "What the hell? Naruto, are you okay?" When the boy didn't stir, Shikamaru dawned a dreadful expression.

' _Another comrade you failed, dumbass,_ ' he thought to himself. ' _Why can't you do anything right?_ '

Noticing his struggle, Temari interfered. "We're sorry to keep you, Lady Shizune. Please, allow us to accompany you back to the village."

Grateful for her cooperation, Shizune nodded, and all ten of those present once again began making their way home.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade!"

Kakashi was on his hands and knees, still shaking off his face-first impact with the tree. His one trembling eye was focused on his leader, skewered on Orochimaru's blade, seemingly lifeless as she bled into the grass.

The man behind the stabbing started laughing. "Oh, poor Kakashi," he mewed mockingly, "what's wrong? Are you dreading your fate now that your guardian is incapacitated?"

Kakashi was no fool. He was aware that if he didn't escape, he'd most likely die by Orochimaru's hand. Despite that, there was no way he was leaving Tsunade to bleed to death. She was his Hokage, and he was sworn to protect her, at the cost of his life if need be.

Standing shakily, the copy ninja sighed in that way he does. Reaching up to his face with his left hand, he pulled his Leaf headband up, revealing his scarred eye, blood-red and hypnotic as it was.

"Hm, how interesting," Orochimaru hissed. "I'll admit, I haven't fared well against the Sharingan in the past. Of course, that was Itachi." Kakashi's gaze hardened at what his foe was implying. "We both know you're no Itachi."

"Underestimating your opponent will get you killed," the hound-master barked. He knew damn well he was no match for this man, but confidence is key. If he gave in to the thought that he had no chance, even for a moment, the fight was lost.

Thirty seconds of strangling silence.

_Snake – Ram – Monkey – Boar – Horse – Tiger_

" **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu**!"

Holding the  _Tiger_  seal beneath his lips, Kakashi exhaled and forced a blaze of red flames from his mouth, aiming them over Tsunade's prone form. Orochimaru pounced vertically and flipped over the apex of the fire jutsu, landing nimbly and making a break toward Kakashi. He stopped immediately in front of him, ducking a gloved fist, then dodging another. Avoiding yet another jab, Orochimaru dropped and took Kakashi's right leg out from under him with a sweep.

Transitioning into a back handspring, Kakashi planted both feet into the trunk of the tree he'd previously been thrown into, then pushed off, rocketing toward Orochimaru. The sannin readied himself, but lost his composure when Kakashi flew past him.

The masked ninja hit another tree, then bounced off. Once again, he missed Orochimaru, and once more he ricocheted off another tree. He repeated the process three more times.

The snake-like man noticed too late what was happening, as Kakashi landed behind him and yanked his head back, forcing the utility wire he held in his teeth through the mask to constrict, binding Orochimaru to the first tree from which his enemy leapt.

_Snake – Dragon – Rabbit – Tiger_

" **Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu**!"

A napalm-like stream of fire traveled the wire from his mouth to the tree, engulfing it and the man tied to it in searing flames.

No screams.

No sounds at all, aside from the fire.

An audible  _pop_  and a cloud of white smoke.

' _Son of a-_ ' Kakashi was cut off by the lace of a sandal connecting with the right side of his head, the man attached to the sandal in mid-air behind him, his serpentine tongue slithering from side-to-side in satisfaction.

Finishing the kick, Kakashi was sent flying at a tremendous speed through the forest, collapsing multiple small trees on the way. Finally colliding with one that didn't give, he slid to the base, his back flat on the ground and his head supported by the roots of the tree.

Orochimaru appeared above him, then bent down, grabbing Kakashi by the collar of his vest and lifting him slightly.

"Did you really suspect to have a chance, Kakashi?" he asked condescendingly. "You're good, child, don't get me wrong, but I'm afraid your battle experience pales in comparison to mine." Dropping him abruptly against the bottom of the tree, Orochimaru straightened himself. "Though I have to say, even this is somewhat disappointing. For years, I've heard nothing but praise for the great  _Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan Eye_. I was excited to experience, first-hand, just how much you've progressed since I left the village."

He scoffed, his smile widening once more. "You let me down, Kakashi."

The inured jōnin let out a weak laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Orochimaru asked impatiently, his smile dissipating.

Kakashi took a deep, shaky breath. "I would never actually hope to beat you, Orochimaru. I did my job."

The sannin clenched his teeth. What was he getting at? He didn't like being played with. "What are you talking about?" he hissed.

Kakashi took another deep breath. "I kept you busy."

_Tiger_

" **Ninja Art: Mitotic Regeneration.** "

* * *

Sakura stood at the main gate of the village, hoping to get the news she'd been anticipating for two days now. She'd seen groups of medical ninja return with both Choji and Neji, and they were in bad shape, but she had confidence Naruto could keep his promise nonetheless.

Her heartrate picked up when she saw multiple figures appear on the horizon.

' _Naruto…_ '

After a long, painful few minutes, the figures jogged into view, well enough for Sakura to tell who they were.

Six medical ninja, Lady Shizune, Shikamaru, that Temari girl from the Sand Village, and someone on a stretcher.

' _Oh no… I hope Kiba didn't get hurt as well…_ ' she thought.

Suddenly, an orange-sleeved arm fell from the stretcher.

Sakura's eyes became wide and glossy.

Shizune made it to the gate, running past the pink-haired kunoichi without acknowledging her. Taking their cue to do the same, the medical ninja ran by as well, allowing Sakura a mere passing glance at her wounded teammate before he was being rushed in the opposite direction.

Shikamaru stopped in front of his fellow Leaf shinobi, prompting Temari to do the same. He looked down and away nervously, a hand rubbing the back of his head.

"Shikamaru…" Sakura said softly, her gaze downcast, her eyes hidden by her short locks. "Shikamaru… what happened?"

The following minute of silence was suffocating. Biting his lip, Shikamaru decided he had to say something.

"I'm…" he hesitated. "I'm sorry, Sakura. Our mission was a failure."

Her expression didn't change. It didn't have to. The single tear that rolled down her cheek and fell to the dirt pathway was enough to convey the pain she was feeling.

"I'm so sorry…" the lazy chūnin said again.

Sakura choked back a sob. "It's not your fault, Shikamaru."

He closed his eyes. "Sakura, I-"

"It's not Naruto's fault either," she interrupted him. Another moment of silence followed. "If you'd both please excuse me, I'd like to go check on Naruto." Without waiting for a response, the young ninja turned and ran in the direction of the hospital. Despite her back being to them, they could still tell that she was frantically rubbing tears from her eyes.

Shikamaru sighed in disappointment with himself.

' _Damn it._ '

* * *

Orochimaru's expression morphed into one of shock. Spinning on his heels, his face met a bare fist that threatened to force his skeleton from his body. Tsunade continued her strike and threw the spiraling snake sannin several hundred meters.

Taking deep breaths, Tsunade kept her arm extended for several moments, her fist almost smoking from the impact it made with Orochimaru's nose. Kakashi looked up at her in amazement.

He'd heard stories about the Hokage's incredible secret regenerative jutsu, but to see it in person was an entirely different story. Intricate markings now covered her face, and steam rose from her closing wounds as her long-stored chakra healed them. He could even tell that her physical strength had increased exponentially.

"Lady Tsunade…" he grunted pathetically.

Tsunade looked down at one of her greatest soldiers. The state he was in worried her. Going down to one knee to his right, she put her left hand below his neck and her right hand over his diaphragm and began using her medical ninjutsu on the most obviously injured areas of his body.

"Kakashi," she said, a frustrated grimace on her face, "I'm so sorry."

He chuckled weakly. "Don't apologize to me, Lady Hokage. This is my duty, to do my utmost for my village, and f- for my Hokage."

Tsunade attempted a small laugh. "Luckily, you didn't receive any fatal injuries, but you're done in this fight." Noticing him about to protest, she continued. "Don't argue with me, Hatake. You've done enough. I know you're strong, I wouldn't have ordered you to my side if you weren't, but just the idle use of your Sharingan on top of the wounds you've sustained, you'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

Knowing she was right, he begrudgingly conceded, shakily pulling his headband back over his gifted eye. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

_Wheeze._

_Chuckle._

_Wheeze._

The slug sannin turned to see Orochimaru bracing himself against a tree. Half of his face was gone, revealing another face underneath that didn't belong to him.

"Tsunade, you meddling wretch," he hissed, his sadistic smile wider than ever. "I'm going to bleed you dry and use your body as a rug."

The venerable kunoichi slowly rose, shooting one last reassuring glance to Kakashi before resting a murderous gaze on Orochimaru.

She feigned beginning to speak, then without warning closed the gap between her and her former friend, beginning a barrage of strikes.

_Right hook._

_Left hook._

_Right hook._

_Left thrust kick._

_Right back kick._

_Left downward punch._

_Full circle spin, left downward punch again._

Orochimaru was driven face-first into the ground, cracking the earth. When he bounced from the impact, Tsunade grabbed him by the back of the neck, lifting him back to a standing position and continuing her attack.

_Right jab._

_Pulled back._

_Right jab again._

_Pulled back._

_Headbutt._

_Jumping knee._

_Right uppercut._

Orochimaru left his feet, becoming horizontal with the ground. Tsunade took the opportunity, moving to his side and landing a chakra-infused blow to his gut, driving him back into the ground once more.

Tsunade kept her fist in his sternum, driving and twisting it further, forcing more groans and gasps from his mouth and deepening the Orochimaru-sized crater beneath him.

Satisfied with her work, Tsunade stood carefully and unsteadily, attempting to keep her balance, a confident smile returning to her face. Turning, she dizzily made her way back to Kakashi's prone form. Standing above him, she opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a slicing sound, causing her eyes to go wide.

Kakashi looked on in terror as Orochimaru held himself on one knee a good distance away from Tsunade, opposite the side he'd been laying in the crater. He was in horrible shape, his breathing ragged, his right arm clutching his obviously demolished ribcage. The terrifying detail was that he held the Kusanagi blade in a reverse grip his outstretched left hand.

A deep, cleaving wound appeared on Tsunade's midsection, from hip to navel, through her entire abdomen and back.

"Lady Hokage!" Kakashi yelled, forcing himself to a sitting position to catch her as she fell, holding her over his legs as she bled into his lap.

Not wanting to wait for either of them to recover, Orochimaru disappeared in a twist of flames.

"No, damn it!" The white-haired man forced his leader to her back and got to his knees, allowing him to check her vitals. "You're alive, thank you,  _thank you_." With a hearty groan, he stood and pulled her over his left shoulder. "I'm going to get you help, hold on, Lady Hokage."

With this, Kakashi, began his shaky and pained journey back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

**Author's Note:**

> And so ends the first chapter of "The Fox's Exile"!
> 
> Please feel free to review. Depending on the content of a review, I'll do my best to respond via personal message (if that's the only way to do it here, I'm not sure). Remember: rude reviews breed rude responses! :)


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